WILSON, Horace Hayman

WILSON, Horace Hayman. London 26.9.1784/86 — London 8.5.1860. British Indologist. In India 1808-32, then Professor in Oxford. Educated in London and studied medicine at St.Thomas’ Hospital. In 1808 went to Bengal as Assistant-Surgeon, during the six months’ travel learned Hindūstānī. In Calcutta he was, instead of surgery, put in the Calcutta Mint, from 1816 its Assay-Master. In 1811-32 Secretary of A.S.B. From 1832 the first Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford. In 1833-36 lived in Oxford, but then moved to London as the successor of Wilkins as the Librarian of the E.I.C., visiting Oxford periodically to give his teaching. Twice a year he was also examiner at Haileybury. Both Professor and Librarian until his death. In 1837-60 Director of R.A.S. Married, several children, his grandson Alexander Hayman W. (d. 1934) was the lawyer of R.A.S.

HHW started the study of Sanskrit soon after arriving in India, becoming friend and disciple of Colebrooke and relying on the help of local Pandits. With his medical background he also studied traditional treatment of cholera and leprosy in Calcutta and wrote a few articles. He soon developed into a many-sided Indologist who, beside literature, was also interested in archaeology and in his laters years even in Veda. The great Sanskrit dictionary compiled by a team of Pandits under his supervision was the first really useful (although also very expensive) help and superseded only by the PW. Many other books were important pioneer works (e.g. Hindu Theatre, which was also the first attempt to explain Indian aesthetics to western audience). He wrote good summaries and analyses. He started (with Burnouf) the scholarly study of the Purāṇas and had a heated argument with Vans Kennedy, who held them ancient, while HHW dated them around 8th to 16th centuries. In his RV translation he followed Sāyaṇa. The Ariana antiqua was an important account of recent historical and numismatical studies. His personal collection of no less than 540 Sanskrit manuscripts is now in Oxford.

Publications: ed. & tr. Meghadūta. 1813 (tr. in rhymed verse).

– Edited: Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Calcutta 1819, 2nd ed. 1831.

– “An Essay on the Hindu History of Cashmir”, As.Res. 15, 1825, 1-119.

– Edited & translated: The Sa’nkhya Kárika or Memorial Verses on the Sa’nkhya Philosophy, by I’swara Krishna, transl. from the Sanskrit by H. T. Colebrooke, also the Bháshja or Commentary, transl. & illustrated by an original Commentary by H. H. W. 14+194+48+6 p. L. 1837.